Although the Government appeared to be backing down in its demands, both sides insisted that the meeting between Alastair Campbell, the Prime Minister's director of communications, and the bosses of BBC News, ITN and Sky News was "friendly and constructive".

The Government summons to broadcasters came after intelligence officials expressed concern that two video tapes smuggled out of Afghanistan and disseminated to television stations via the Qatar channel, al-Jazeera, could contain coded messages from bin Laden to supporters. The Government stopped short of asking broadcasters not to show such footage, asking only that they treat it with care.

In a joint statement, the broadcasters said: "We will continue to exercise care in our handling of all material. As responsible broadcasters, we are mindful of national and international security issues and the impact of reports can have in different communities and cultures."